Generally speaking, building a wall or partition comprises the steps of i) rough carpentry work (framing), followed by rough electrical work (installation of electrical and/or communications wiring, cables, conduits, junction boxes and the like), followed by iii) finish carpentry work (drywall installation and the like), followed by iv) finish electrical work (installation of switches, electrical outlets, computer/telecommunications outlets and the like). These four steps form a critical project path associated with construction project where walls, partitions and the like are installed.
The time it takes to perform the various steps is dependent upon scheduling/coordination between carpenters and electricians. In addition, local and/or state regulatory agencies typically require the inspection of the rough electrical work prior to allowing the finish carpentry work to proceed. The net result is a relatively slow process where a job site is idle waiting for a carpenter or electrician to arrive and perform the next step in the process, or waiting for a state/local inspector to perform a required inspection, creating scheduling issues for the builder. Both the electrical roughing and the inspection process create scheduling issues for the builder such that larger projects may take 18 to 16 weeks to complete, increasing the cost of such projects.